Dispensing container



1942. M. Mel. DUKEHART, JR

DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Ju1 31, 1940' v Patented Dec. 15, 1942 2,304,898 DISPENSING CONTAINER Morton McI. Dukehart, J12, New Rochelle, N. Y., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 31, 1940, Serial No. 348,930

4 Claims. V (Cl. 220-41) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in dispensing containers, and more particularly to improvements in a dispensing container having a captive slip cover which is adapted to be manipulated for controlling access to the contents of the container.

An object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing container of the above type wherein the cover is slidably connected to the container during normal opening and closing movements and is released from its sliding connection when in a full open position at which time the cover is independently connected to the container body to prevent complete removal thereof from the container. g

A further object of the invention is to provide a dispensing container of the above type wherein the cover is slidably connected to the container and is released from its sliding connection when in a full open position, and wherein the cover is hingedly connected to the container body when the sliding connection is released.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a dispensing container of the above type wherein the sliding and hinge connections between the cover and the container are disposed relative to one another so that the end of the container can be completely opened at which time the cover, through its hinge connection, will assume a position at the side of the container body,

A still further object of the invention is to provide a dispensing container of the above type wherein the cover and the container body are provided with hinge parts which cooperate to effect the hinge connection between the cover and the container only when the sliding connection therebetween is released.

The above and other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will be hereinafter more fully pointed out.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the container with the cover in a closed position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side sectional view of the container showing the cover partially open.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side sectional view showing the position of the cover when the hinge connection is brought into operation.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing the position of the cover depending from the hinge connection at the top of the container,

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawing, the container includes a body portion III which is illustrated as being substantially recwith respect to the body portion I0.

tangular in shape. The upper end of the body portion I0 is provided with an outwardly curled bead I I which preferably extends around the entire end of the body portion so as to provide outwardly extending side trackways Ila, II b and a rear stop portion IIc. Beneath the beaded, portion I lo, the body wall of the container is provided with an aperture I2 for purposes to be hereinafter pointed out.

The cover I3 is in the form of a slide and includes a closed top portion. The side edges of the cover I3a, I 31)- are turned downwardly and curved inwardly to overlie and engage the trackways Ila, IIb, respectively, which are provided by the head around the open end of the body portion Ill. In this manner, the cover I3 is slidably connected to the body portion ID. The rear end of the cover I3 is also provided with a depending curved portion I 30 which, when the cover is closed, butts against and overlies the rear beaded portion lie on the body portion and thus serves as a stop for limiting closing movement of the cover.

The forward or leading end I4 of the cover I3 is adapted to be disposed over the bead II on the body portion when the cover is closed. The depending side flanges I3a, .I3b on the cover terminate short of the leading end I4 of the cover so that these flanges will become disengaged from the beaded portions Ila, Ilb when the cover is moved to a full open position, approximately as shown in Figure 3. The forward or leading end Id of the cover is provided to become disposed substantially parallel to the body wall of the container, as shown in Figure 4.

The tongue I5 is substantially centrally located with respect to the transverse cross section of the cover and the aperturev i2 is similarly located The free end of the tongue I5 extends slightly beyond. and underlies the forward or leading ends of the flanges I3a, I 31) and is adapted to pass through the aperture I2 in the bodywall when the cover nears its full open position, as shown in Figure 3. Initial opening of the container is efiected by shifting the cover to the right; as viewed in Figures 1 and 2. This movement of the cover is a sliding movement by reason of the interengaging connection between the cover flanges and the beaded I5 is provided a portions I la, llb. Further opening movement of the cover will cause the end of the tongue 15 to pass through the aperture I 2, as shown in Figure 3, and still further opening movement of the cover will release the beaded portions l I a, I lb from engagement with the flanges I3a, l3b, respectively, on the cover. Thus, the sliding connection between the cover and the body portion is released but the cover becomes hingedly connected to the beaded portion H at the top of the body wall of the container. The body wall of the container beneath the aperture l2 will engage the outer surface of the curved portion I5a on the tongue and tend to cause the opposite end of the cover to turn in a clockwise direction.

When the flanges become disengaged from the beaded portions Ha, llb, theo'over will be free to assume the position shown in Figure .land the inner surface of the curved portion 15a of the tongue will receive the beaded portion He and thus serve to hingedly connect the cover to the body wall.

When it is desired to close the container from its full open position, the cover can be shifted about its hinge connection in a counter-clockwise direction to a substantially horizontal position with respect to the body portion. Movement of the cover toward a closed position will now cause the beaded portions Ila, Ilb to become engaged within the depending flanges 13a, [I31],

respectively. Further movement of the cover toward a closed position will release the tongue 15 from its position extending through the aperture 22. In this manner, the hinge connection between the cover and the container is released 35 when the sliding connection becomes engaged. In order to facilitate manipulation of the cover, there is provided a raised finger portion I6 above the top surface of the cover.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the present invention provides a container having a cover which is slidably connectedthereto during normal opening and closing movements but which is hingedly connected thereto upon release of the sliding connection at substantially the full open position of the cover. During opening of the cover, the cooperating hinge parts between the upper end of the bodyportion and the cover come into initial engagement before the sliding connection is disengaged so as to prevent complete removal of the cover from the body portion. Similarly, during closing of the cover, the hinge connection remains until the sliding connection is initially established. Thus, during normal opening and closing of the container, the

cover is slidably connected thereto but when the cover is in a full open position, it is hingedly connected to the container so that it may be swung downwardly to a position substantially parallel to the body wall of the container. The hinge tongue 'on the cover is shaped so as to permit the free downward swinging of the cover. Thus, the hinge part on the body'portion is disposed within the curved portion of the hinge tongue so that the cover will depend from the for purposes of illustration, it is to be clearly understood that various changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A dispensing container comprising a body portion, a cover for controlling access to the contents of the container, means providing an outward bead around the upper end of the body portion, said cover having depending flanges at the sides thereof engageable with said outward bead for providing a sliding connection between the cover and the body portion during normal opening and closing movements of the cover, said flanges terminating short of the leading end of said cover whereby to permit release of the sliding connection when the cover approaches a full open position, and means operable to effect a hinge connection between the cover and the body portion before the flanges become disengaged from the outward bead whereby to prevent complete separation of the cover from the body portion when the sliding connection is thus released.

2. A dispensing container comprising a body portion having an outward bead around the open end thereof, a cover for controlling access to the contents of the container and having a leading end adapted to overlie the outward bead when the cover is closed, means providing depending flanges at the sides of said cover for engaging the outward bead on the body portion whereby to provide a sliding connection between the cover and the body portion during normal opening and closing movements, said flanges terminating short of the leading end of said cover whereby to permit release of the flanges from said bead when the cover approaches a full open position, and means including interengageable hinge parts on the cover and the body portion cooperating with one another for effecting a hinge connection between the cover and the body portion before the flanges are released from the bead whereby to prevent complete separation of the cover from the body portion when the sliding connection therebetween is thus released.

3. A dispensing container comprising a body portion having an outward bead around the open end thereof, a cover for controlling access to the contents of the container and having a leading A end adapted to overlie the outward bead at one end of the body portion when the cover is closed, means providing depending flanges at the sides of said cover for engaging the outward bead on the body portion whereby to provide a sliding connection between the cover and the body portion during normal opening and closing movements, said flanges terminating short of the leading end of said cover and freely releasable from said bead when the cover approaches a full open position, a tongue depending from the leading end of said cover and extending toward the opposite end thereof a distance slightly beyond the adjacent ends of said flanges, and means providing an aperture through the body portion in line with said tongue whereby the tongue will pass through said aperture and effect a hinge connection between the cover and the body portion when the flanges are released from the bead in order to prevent complete separation of the cover from the body portion.

4. A dispensing container comprising a substantially rectangular body portion having an outward bead at least at the sides thereof, a

cover for controlling access to the contents of the container and having a leading end adapted to overlie one end of the body portion when the cover is closed, said cover having depending flanges at the sides thereof for engaging the outward head on the body portion whereby to provide a sliding connection between the cover and the body portion during normal opening and closing movements of the cover, said flanges terminating short of the leading end of said cover and being f-reely releasable from said bead when the cover approaches a full open position, a tongue depending from the leading end of said cover opening toward the opposite end thereof, said tongue terminating slightly within the adjacent ends of said flanges and having a central downwardly curved portion, and said body portion having an aperture therethrough in line with said tongue and through which said tongue extends for effecting a hinge connection between the cover and the body portion when the flanges are released from the bead in order to prevent complete separation of the. cover from the body portion and the central downwardly curved portion being adapted to receive the metal of the body portion above said aperture so as to permit the cover to assume a position substantially parallel to the body portion and depending from the open end thereof.

MORTON McI. DUKEHART, J a. 

